[Nonorganized and organized physical activity and health-related physical fitness in Burundian adults: cross-sectional study]. / Activités physiques libres ou encadrées et condition physique liée à la santé chez des adultes burundais: étude transversale.

INTRODUCTION: Regular physical activity has a positive impact on health. This study aims to compare health-related physical fitness in adults engaged in organized physical exercise with these in adults engaged in nonorganized physical exercise and to establish a relationship between this physical fitness and physical activity level. METHODS: We collected data on physical activity level and health-related physical fitness parameters. Independent samples T-test was used to compare the means of the two groups and Pearson correlation coefficient calculator was used to analyze the relationship between physical fitness parameters and physical activity level. RESULTS: Significant differences (p < 0.05) in physical activity level, flexibility, aerobic endurance ([Formula: see text]) and HR rest were recorded for the organized exercise group. The level of physical activity was positively correlated (P < 0.05) to [Formula: see text] and grip strength but it was negatively correlated with HR rest and LDL cholesterol. The prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors was minimal except for HDL cholesterol. CONCLUSION: The results of this study show that nonorganized physical exercise is as effective as organized physical exercise in maintaining proper health-related physiological and lipid profiles in Burundian adult. However, organized physical activity provides additional health benefits on [Formula: see text], HR rest, anteroposterior flexibility and vertical jump.

[Effects of physical activity on adipose tissue cellularity in premenopausal obese women in Bénin]. / Effets des exercices physiques sur la cellularité adipeuse des femmes obèses préménopausées.

The purpose of this article was to quantify the exercise load and investigate the influence of physical exercise on adipose tissue in obese women from Bénin. Twelve subjects participated at the study. Six of the subjects trained three times a week for six months. Each training session lasted forty-five minutes. The remaining six women constituted the control group. Biopsy samples of adipose tissue were taken from the same site in the gluteal iliac region at the end of six months and analyzed by histochemistry and electron microscopy. The results showed that all subjects suffered from severe central obesity; lipid content and number of adipocytes were higher among the sedentary woman than among those who exercised. Intense exercise in the latter used more lipids than carbohydrates. We conclude that regular, supervised physical exercise reduces lipid levels and thus induces weight loss.